Friday, September 03, 2010

Hairdresser Claims Artist's Monkey Attacked Her

A Queens hairdresser was the victim of too much monkey business when the beloved pet monkey of a famed artist and hotelier attacked her. Parvin Hajihossini, 53, is suing the owner of the Kaaterskill lodge in Catskill, NY, Allen Hirsch, the artist who painted Bill Clinton's inaugural portrait as well as several Time magazine covers, after she was attacked by Benjamin, his pet monkey.

Hajihossini's lawyer says she was snapping photographs of Benjamin, a capuchin monkey, at Hirsch's six-room bed-and-breakfast when the monkey jumped out and attacked her on July 18 as a worker watched. She emerged with a long scar across her cheek from Benjamin's bites, and has been depressed and haunted by the attack since.

According to a Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman, "The monkey and owner disappeared shortly after this incident." The Daily News found Hirsch, who said he was in South America painting, and declined to comment. Health officials want to test the monkey for rabies, which would require Benjamin to be euthanized.